With a struggling economy and the highest unemployment in the nation, New Mexico business leaders say it’s time for more open-government reforms. New polling finds that shedding a light on campaign finance reports, lobbyist spending, and political contributions would help to prevent corruption and build both public trust and investor confidence in our state. Two-thirds Read More …
Today at the Roundhouse, the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee voted unanimously in favor of HB105 sponsored by Rep. Jim Smith (R-Sandia Park). FOG spoke in support of the bill, which would require improved campaign finance reporting technology on the Secretary of State’s website. Currently, campaign finance reports housed on the Secretary of Read More …
UPDATED: Listen to the KUNM call-in show with Gwyneth Doland analyzing New Mexico’s scorecard. A new scorecard released by The Center for Public Integrity today gave New Mexico an overall ‘D-‘ for transparency and accountability in state government. Most troubling, our state received an ‘F’ for Public Access to Information. The study illustrates the need for Read More …
Published in the Gallup Independent, Gallup, N.M., Oct. 14, 2015 By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola Independent correspondent [email protected] ALBUQUERQUE — When U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David T. Thuma made his decision not to invalidate the Diocese of Gallup’s property auction in Albuquerque after the public and media were barred from attending, Thuma said he based his Read More …
Our 25th anniversary year First Amendment Dixon Awards Lunch was our best event yet – and it’s all thanks to our wonderful supporters like you! We hope you enjoyed the FOG 25-year history video. Thanks to Kent Walz, Rep. Jim Dines, Terri Cole, and Roger Thompson Voiceover for their participation. Thanks to Charles “Bazz” Read More …
FOG sent the following letter yesterday urging the Clovis Municipal Schools to release all documents under IPRA regarding possible suspension of its high school football coach: October 1, 2015 Kyle Snider President, Clovis Municipal Schools kyle.snider@clovis-schools-org Jody Balch Superintendent, Clovis Municipal Schools jody.balch@clovis-schools-org Re: Inspection of Public Records Request Dear Messieurs Snider and Balch: I am writing on Read More …
I had the honor of speaking with a group of leaders from Northern Iraq, who are traveling through America as part of an initiative led by the U.S. State Department and Global Ties ABQ, a nonprofit dedicated to building bridges of international awareness and understanding among the people of New Mexico and emerging leaders from Read More …
FOG Executive Susan Boe penned an opinion piece that was published in NMPolitics.net: COMMENTARY: The recent allegations about Secretary of State Dianna Duran have pulled back the curtain on campaign finance reports — those pesky forms that candidates, lobbyists and political committees must file with the secretary of state (SOS) periodically to record their contributions and Read More …
We had a soldout crowd for our first-ever Santa Fe event, “Don’t Stop the Presses! An evening to celebrate free speech.” We had such a great audience, and we could not have done it without the generosity of our sponsors. We are appreciative of the businesses, media outlets, and individuals who took a stand for Read More …
The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government has conducted an extensive review of New Mexico city and county websites. The review is an opportunity to provide guidance to government bodies by identifying best practices for websites. FOG is dedicated to ensuring that the public can easily access information from its government. The FOG audit examined Read More …